Vending machine



March 14, 1939. H. MORIN VENDING MACHINE Filed July 22, .1936 2 Sheets'S'neet l INVENTOR 100/6 Mom/v AT'IZORNEY March 14, 1939. H M M 2,150,863

VENDING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TBATENTOR 100/5 fl. Mom/v ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNI ED STATES PATENT orrlca VENDING MACHINE Louis'H. Morin, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to The Coca-Cola Company, W

poration of Delaware 11, Del., a cor- Application July 22, 1936, Serial No.- 91,837

6 Claims.

1 thereof from' the machine, and particularly where such feed and delivery is controlled by a coin mechanism; a further object being to provide a vending machine having an opening therein through which the bottles to be vended are adapted topass, with automatically actuated means for normally closing said passage to" prevent unauthorized admission'to the storage chamberof the machine; a further object being to provide an endless bottle feeding conveyor, involving rela tively long bottle supporting tubes linked together I to form-said conveyor, the axis of the links forming the mounting of the tubular bottle supports in connectionwith said links; a further object being to provide means for indicating to the operator when the machine is empty in order to eliminate and avoid the inconvenience of insert-' ing a coin into the machine and the removal of ,the returned coin therefrom; a still further object being to provide means involving a crank for actuating the conveyor and for cushioning the crank action, especially when released by the operator to render the machine substantially noiseless in operation; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a vending machine of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, eflicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawingsform a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable ref-'- erence characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side and sectional view of theupper end portion of the vending machine, indicating the method of its use.

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

a part of the construction with parts in a different position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of the upper end portion of a drive which I employ.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the conveyor, with parts of the construction broken away; and in section; and,

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of one corner portion of the machine, the section being sub stantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

The present invention relates primarily to the mechanical parts of the vending machine con- 10 trolling and regulating the feed and discharge of the bottles or other merchandise to be vended.

I have illustrated a coin control mechanism for controlling the operation of the machine, but this mechanism, per se; forms the subject matter of a companion application filed of equal date herewith, certain parts of this mechanism being illustrated to clearly show the.cooperation between the manually actuated crank and the driven conveyor as well as other associated or interrelated parts, for example, the shock absorbing cylinder or dash-pot and the fEmpty indicating device. In referring to the dispensing of bottles as containers for various-kinds and classes of beverages, it will be understood that the invention is also applicable to other kinds and classes of merchandise suitable for dispensing in a machine of the kind. herein described and claimed.

To illustrate one use of my invention or method of carrying it into efleet, I have indicated at Ill in the accompanying drawings, the upper end portion of a box or container which might also be referred to as a cabinet. This container is of double wall structure with suitable insulation H between the inner and outer walls to maintain 5 the inner storage or cooling chamber I! fully insulated to maintain the desired temperature in said chamber. In'dispensing beverages, I employ a suitable fluid IS in the chamber l2 which may be cooled by ice arranged in the rectangular 40 space indicated at Na, in Fig. 3 of the drawings, or this water may be chilled by suitable refrigerating means in the form of conventional electrio and other refrigeratingunits. Should it be desirable to dispense heated drinks or beverages, 5 the processinay be reversed and suitable heating agents employed. l g

In the present construction, the apparatus is designed to dispense or vend elongated bottles or containers I4 for beverages or drinks of vari- 5o ous kinds and classes. Supported on suitable brackets .l5 arranged in the chamber I is a con- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing only veyor supporting i'rame l6 serving as a support .and guide for a plurality of bottlesupporting I! are open at opposite sides as indicated at I 8 and have a bottom crosshead; i8 mounted upon the pivot and coupling pins 28 of pairs oflinks 2 I, 22 of an endless chain. The links 2|, 22 are each formed from flat strips of nietal perforated at their ends to receive the coupling or pivot pins 28; and one end portion 28 of each link is set inwardly with respect to the other vend portions 24 so that the set-in ends 28 of one pair' or links flt within the end portions 24 of an adjacent pair oiiinks as clearly represented in Fig. 7 of .the drawings. The central portions 20a. of the pins 28 are enlarged, and arranged thereon are rollers /'28 which provide anti-frictional engagement with a drive sprocket 28 secured to the lo'wer'end of a desired manner to maintain the proper temperature in the chamber l2 as well as to prevent unauthorized admission to said chamber. The cover 88 in the construction shown includes an upwardly extending part 88a which cooperates with the casing 28 to form a closure. This extension permits removal of the cover regardless of the position of the parts supported in connection there-' with. The cover 88 is provided adjacent the casing 28 with an opening reinforced by a ring frame 8| having an outwardly and upwardly flared throat 82 which forms the discharge opening proper of the cover and through which the bottles I 14 are adapted to pass.

Supported on the under side'of the cover 88 are two tracks or guide rails 88 in connection with which a sliding door or closure 84 is mounted. The guide rails 88 have a transverse stop her 88 which cooperates. with a downwardly projectingcurved end 88 on the door 84 to limit the movement of said door in one direction. The rearend of the door 84 is' provided with a projecting arm 81 with'which is coupled a spring 88- which serves to normally maintain the door in closed position.

Pivotally supported in the downwardly directed curved portion 88 oi. the door as seen at 88 is a pawl or catch device 48, the pivoted end portion of which is provided with a rounded projecting tongue 4|. The other end of said pawl is in the tom of a long arm having a notch 42 at its end adapted to engage the bar 88 to latch or retain the door in closed position. it being understood that the pawl 48 drops by gravity to bring the notch 42 into engagement with the bar 88, whereas in the operation oi dispensing or vmoving a bottle l4 upwardly through the discharge opening 82 in the operation of the machine, the upper end portion or the bottle flrst strikes the pawl tongue I 4|, disengaging the notched end 42 or the pawl from the bar 88. As the bottle continues to advance upwardly and move from right to left, the

The conveyor has its links and bottle receiving supporting tubes arranged in inner and outer .tracks, and in the operation of the, machine, the inner track is moved from right to left as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When a bottle assumes a position in the tubular support represented at w in Fig. 3, preparatory to being discharged when the said supporting tubes reach the position indicated at 1:2 in Fig. 3, which relative positions are also indicated by the reference characters'a: and $2 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the bottle, in

traveling from the position of the receptacle at x to the position :2, travels or slides over upwardly inclined cams or slideways 48 secured to the frame l8 and arranged at the opposite cut-out sides 18 of the tubular supports I! so that each bottle i4 is elevated from the position. shown at a: to the position shown at 3:2 in Fig. 1. In vending different kinds and classes of merchandise, the contour and arrangement of the lifting or ejector cams will be modified to suit the particular kind' and class of merchandise employed. Thisis also true of the torm and construction of the article supports I! employed. a

; Pivotally supported in connection with the frame i6 as indicated at 44, is a. lever 45, one end portion of which has an upwardly directed extension 48- adapted to normally lie in thepath of movement of the lower ends ogthe bottles or other articles when moved into the position represented at a: so that in the normal operation and when an article or bottle I4 is in a holder i1 when in the position designated at x, the extending end 48 is depressed; and, on the other hand, if this holder ll is empty and an article or bottle i4 is not in position to be dispensed or vended, the end 48 end portion 41 of the lever 48.

.Coupled with the end portion 41 is a vertical rod 48 which extends upwardly through the shaft '21 and includes at the upper end thereof an offset arm 48 having a cam portion 88 which is adapted to engage a spring pressedpin 8i so as to throw an ffEmpty indicating sign 82 in position to register with a window or opening 88 in the wall of the casing 'ot the coin 28. The sign 82 is in the term of a lever pivoted at '84 and the end 88 or said lever is mounted on the pin 8i said spring pressed pin 8l-lservi'ng to normally support the ,Empty sign 82 in inoperative, or

will assume a raised position by the other weighted invisible position, which position is 'ass'umed'by 1 the 81811 n the end "is maintained in d wer end oi. the sha1t21has a universal mounting inthe fi'ame i8 a indicated at so. .The upper'endo! theshai't has a. square shank 21a fitting-in asquare socket-81 of a drive disk which is intermittently driven by a segmental gear 88 through a coin introduced. into the machine and acting as a key 'or couplingbetween the beveled gear segment 88 and said disk, as morerully described and claimed ina companion application of this coin mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have dia-' grammatically illustrated at 88 a part or the coin slot for guiding a coin 8| into position between the 88 and 88 as indicated in Fig. 1. Further specific reference to this mechanism will be om'ittedas it forms no direct part or the present application.

Mounted in a suitable bushing 02 an. casing I or the coin .mechanism 28 is a crank shaft 88 hav- 18 ing an offset crank handle 64 for actuating the same. Secured to this shaft is a driving block or sleeve 65 having an offset stop 66 for limiting the movement of the crank shaft 63 in one direction.

the beveled gear segment 59 to transmit the rotary movement of the crank shaft 63 to the gear 59 to rotate the shaft 21 in the manner heretofore described. The shearing pin coupling 61 employed provides a breaking pin between the crank 4 and operative mechanisms of the machine to prevent stresses or strains thereon should-parts of the machine become inoperative by accident or otherwise.

I also employ a shock absorbing unit for cushioning the movement of the crank in both directions to render the operation of the machine substantially noiseless as well as to relieve the crank from excessive stress. This mechanism is mounfi ed in a suitable bracket or frame 10 supported in the casing of the coin mechanism in any desired manner, said bracket having a cylinder portion H, note Fig, 2 of the drawings, in which is arranged a piston 12, the connecting or plunger rod 13 of which is pivoted to a projecting arm on a gear segment I4 supported in the part 15 of the bracket. The gear segment 14 meshes with a pinion l6 keyed to the crank shaft 63 as seen in Fig. 2 'of the drawings. In other words, in the rotation of the crank shaft 63, or in drawing the crank arm 64 forwardly into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in the operation of discharging a bottle l4 from the container or moving the same into the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings at $2, the piston 12 is moved to the right and compresses a spring 11 in this operation, which acts to cushionthe forward movement of the crank 64. When said crank is released by hand, the spring 11 urges the piston to the left, and the air in the cylinder 1! in front of the piston will be discharged slowly througha small port 18 in the manner of a dash-pot action, thereby cushioning said return movement of the crank 64. In this connection, it is understood that air is admitted into the cylinder II in the first named stroke of the piston through a check valve 19 in the head end of the cylinder.

In the aforesaid operation of the crank, the coupling collar 65 including the gear segments 68 are moved into the position shown in Fig. 6, in which operation and assuming that a coin Si is in position between the parts 58 and 59, the shaft 21 will be caused to be rotated, which, in turn, rotates the sprocket 26 secured to said shaft to feed the conveyor to move one of the containers H from the position shown at a: into the position shown at $2 and to move a bottle Hi from the position shown at :c in Fig. 1 into a position similar to that represented at 1:2 in said figure. In this operation,- the door 34 is automatically opened in the manner heretofore described and the bottle may then be removed from the container. This operation will contirue as long as bottles remain in the respective and successive 3 .60 to reject or return a coin inadvertently placed into the coin mechanism'by an operator, should the sign 52 be unnoticed at the time.

From time to time, new bottles or otherarticles It may be placed inthe empty holders l'l as well as replacement made of cooling or heating agents or mediumswhen the latter are not automatic or continuous in operation. With the construction forming the subject matter of this invention, any particular type or kind of coin controlled mechanism may be employed. In fact, in some uses of the invention, where the coin mechanism is not essential, the apparatus may be used simply as a storage means, and means for conveniently removing bottles or other articles fromthe con- In other words, the

served state.

My improved conveyor provides means for moving the bottles or other articles through the container to bring the same into position to be discharged by av structure which is not only simple but economical and practical in use, and

one which'is not likely to bind or jam. The antifriction rollers 25 provide free action upon the.

sprocket 26 and the tubular supports I! of the conveyors will, provide the desired flexibility and yet operate to maintain the bottles in spaced relation one with respect to the other in traveling around the conveyor track. After a bottle has been removed from a support I I when arranged directly beneath the opening 32, said support 11 remains in thisiposition in an empty state until the conveyor is again rotated by the crank 63, which rotation is controlled by the coin mechanism in the construction shown.

It will be noted upon-a consideration of Fig. 1 of the drawings that the tubular supports H are of sufficient height to support the bottle when in its projected position, and the bottle. is projected sufficiently through the opening to enable the purchaser to freely grasp the same to withdraw the bottle from the machine. It will also be noted upon a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawings that the drive sprocket 26 on the shaft 21 is located at one corner of the conveyor so as to insure positive engagement with ,at least one of the bearing sleeves 25 on the pin 20 of the conveyor chain at all times.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A-vending machine having a storage chamber, an endless conveyor mounted in said chamher for supporting articles to be vended and for moving the same into position to be removed fromthe storage chamber through an opening in saidmachine, operating means for said conveyor, means operable to automatically move one of the articles into a projected position with respect to the conveyor and the opening in said machine to facilitate the removal of the article therefrom, tube means on said conveyor for supporting the article in its projected position, a door normally closing the opening in said machine, means engaged by the article in its movement into projected position for moving said door into open position, and a catch normally locking the door inclosed position, said catch being released by the article in the operation of engaging and movber for supporting articles to be vended and for moving the same into position to be removed from the storage chamber through an opening in said machine, operating means for said conveyor, means operable to automatically move one of the articles into a projected position with respect to the conveyor and the opening in said machine to facilitate the removal of the article therefrom, tube means on said conveyor for supporting the article in-its projected position, a door normally closing the opening in said machine, means engaged by the article in its movement into projected position for moving said door into open position, a catch normally locking the door in closed position, said catch being released by the article in the operation of engaging and moving said door, and spring means automatically moving the door into closed position when the article is removed from the machine.

3. A vending machine having a storage chamber, an endless conveyor mounted in said cham-,

ber for supporting articles to be vended and for I moving the same into position to be removed from the storage chamber through an opening in said machine, operating means for said conveyor, means operable to automatically move one of the articles into a projected position with respect to the conveyor and the opening in said machine to facilitate the removal of the article therefrom, tube means on said conveyor for supporting the article in its projected position, a door normally closing the opening in said machine, means engagedby the article in its movement into projected position -for moving said door into open position, atca'tch normallylocking the door in closed position, said/catch being released by the article in the operation of engaging and moving said door, spring means for automatically moving the door into closed position when the article is removed from the machine, the means for actuating said conveyor including a crank shaft having a crank arm, and means for cushioning the movement of said arm in two directions.

4. A vending machine of the class described having means for supporting and storing articles tobe discharged through an opening formed in the machine and accessible through one wall structure 01' the machine, means involving an automatic spring closing a latching door for discharge opening therein for automatically feeding the article into position to project outwardly through said opening to facilitate the removal of the article from the machine.

5. 'In a vending machine, a storage compartment, means involving an endless conveyor for 1 supporting articles in said compartment and for moving the same into position to be discharged from said -machirie, said conveyor comprising a plurality of elongated tubes in which the articles are independently supported, pairs of links pivotally coupling adjacent tubular supports, adjacent ends of successive pairs of linksbe'ing arranged on common pivots to form an endless chain structure for said conveyor, said tubular supports being mounted upon the pivots of adjacent pairs of links, and the lower ends of said tubular supports being cut out at opposite sides adjacent the end portions thereof attached-to the pivots of said links. I

6. In a vending machine, a storage compartment, an endless conveyor'for supporting articles in said compartment and for moving the same into position to be discharged from said machine, said conveyor comprising a plurality of elongated tubes in which the articles are independently supported, pairs of links pivotally coupling adjacent tubular supports, adjacent ends of successive pairs of links being arranged on common pivots,

to form an endless chain structure for said conveyor, said tubular supports being mounted upon a the pivots of adjacent pairs of links, the lower ends of said tubular supports being cut out at opposite sides adjacent the end portions thereof attached to the pivots of said links, and a cam.

surface disposed'in the path of movement of the containers of said conveyor and registering with the cut-out side thereof to engage the articles arranged in said supports to move such articles longitudinally of the supports when moved relatively to said cam surface.

LOUIS H. MORIN. 

